Three Ways to Resource Clients When Anxiety Is Triggered

When a client struggles with emotional triggers, finding ways to help them disrupt that automatic cycle of reactivity can be difficult.But according to Rick Hanson, PhD, there are three key practices that can help a client regain a sense of safety and calm – especially when anxiety gets triggered.

He takes us through them in the video below. Check it out – it’s just four minutes.

Click here for full transcript

Dr. Buczynski: For some clients, an emotional trigger can strike suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere. So when a client gets triggered, how can we help them reduce reactivity and regain a sense of safety income? Well, here Dr. Rick Hanson shares three practices that can soothe intense emotions, especially when anxiety gets triggered. Dr. Hanson: My supervisor had a saying that much of the FBI is supposed to follow the money in organized crime, as therapists we should follow anxiety as a fundamental central theme and arguably terms of the neural hardware that enables emotion. The first to emerge involved negative emotions having to do with fear, threat, aversion, disgust, rage, and then layered on top of that were more positive emotional capabilities. Fear is deeply primal and I think it’s helpful to be mindful of and accept and include that we’re really a bunch of scared monkeys moving down busy city streets with each other. So what to do about it? This is territory that I’ve been extremely interested in. In part because I’m anxious by temperament, and so I want to name three practices here. The first of these is what I call notice you’re basically alright, now tell the truth. Sometimes in the past you may not have been basically alright, in the future there might be moments that are not basically alright, but in most moments for most people now, the heart is still beating, there’s enough air to breathe, there’s a basic okayness, the body’s going on. Around the edges there might be pain or irritation or something you’re thinking about, but in the core you’re being you’re basically alright. You have an opportunity to notice them interestingly most of the information coming into the brain originates inside the body because the brain first and foremost needs to track the internal state of the body, that’s why the first census to evolve we’re internally directed sensing, tasting, and smelling, then we acquired more externally directed senses, hearing, and seeing. So the body most of the time is telling the brain, especially a key part of the brain that all is well, digestion is occurring, there’s enough air, you’re not an agonizing pain, no shark is chewing on your leg, you’re basically alright. But because that’s what we’re being told continually, we tune it out, we don’t notice. So we’re basically okay right now and that’s an incredible opportunity for people in general and also especially for people grappling with issues of safety and anxiety, to be mindful of the felt sense many times a day, including in an extended way for a minute or two or 10. You can build up this ability to recognize in this moment, I’m basically alright, even as I remain vigilant and aware of threats, and I mobilize appropriate coping, but without being invaded with anxiety and anger and helplessness in the core of my being. That’s a wonderful embodied practice and then another one is what’s the feeling of being strong. Anxiety is a mismatch between threat and resources, both perception and what’s actually true. So a lot of what we do with people as we try to bring down their exaggerated view of threat and help them cope with threats so that they diminish, well what about strengths. So as you build up the felt sense of being a determined person, or also especially a person who can endure I think is especially useful for women frankly, that endurance is a strength, you are strong by just being here. Still internalizing that felt sense of threats are real, but my resources are greater, I’m a tough cookie, I blew through this before I can deal with it again, I’m gonna be okay. Then last to do practices of letting go of unnecessary anxiety. It’s really interesting to observe in this moment, do you need to feel this fearful, do you need to feel this braced or guarded, can you let go unnecessary anxiety? If it’s appropriate to remain anxious about something, fine, but unnecessary anxiety something you can actually shed and that’s a really interesting mindfulness practice. Dr. Buczynski: Giving clients effective resources to build feelings of connection and safety can often be a key first step in helping them manage an emotional trigger. Now I’d like to hear from you. What have you found to be helpful in working with a client’s emotional triggers? Please share a comment right below

By resourcing clients with effective ways to strengthen their sense of safety and connection, we can begin to expand their toolkit for managing an emotional trigger.

For more expert strategies for working with anxiety check out the NICABM short course with Stephen Porges, PhD; Peter Levine, PhD; Pat Ogden, PhD; Richard Schwartz, PhD; Rick Hanson, PhD; and 13 other top-experts.

Now I’d like to hear from you. What have you found to be helpful in working with a client’s emotional triggers?

Please share a comment below.

83 Comments

Anonymous says

Imagine anxiety is a little fly coming to bother you and how it’s up to you to ignore it and feel in charge

Susan Kiernan, Coach, Chicago, IL, USA says

Great tips and insight! I work with people in divorce as a coach – fear and anxiety, real and perceived, are prevalent and can be crippling.

Anonymous, Psychology, MX says

Thankyou for sharing!

Kevin Waters, Coach, Riverside, East Providence, RI, USA says

Once I am Mindful of even my own Anxiety, &, that I’m All right, I can proceed to Pause, and start to ask the “Questions about what is going on in this situation,&, then start to put together a plan of “Corrective Actions” both Physically, and Mentally. I consider it a hidden reward for me as a result of having to face my own alcoholism, &, the Anxiety that followed years of “Self Medicating” Thank you for the short video ! Kevin

Jessica, Psychology, AU says

Hi, I am a new intern/therapist. And this is a very helpful video. I have seen as little as many clients who are struggling to go through their days, but I confirm how hard it is to detect what a person is inside when looking from the outside . I have found anxiety doesn’t Always reflect it all. You cannot assume you know how the person feel from their appearance or look/physical. Their struggle becomes our struggle when they can’t put into words what they are anxious about.

- lauren Luo, Coach, Davis, CA, USA says
  
  I agree…I have suffered sever ate anxiety after my husband’s multiple DUI arrests manufactured by the community watch groups and “sponsored” by corporations. I feel hopeless to watch everything was taken away from us, our jobs, our dignity, and reputations… the neighbors put us on their profiling lists and use shaming techniques to continuously torture the most vulnerable people who are suffering from their diseases, alcoholism. I really hope that someone can really focuses on helping to heal the “disease” instead of punishing the population who has the “cancer” with alcoholic syndromes.
  
Den Borrowski, Student, GB says

It happens that Iam anxious when time is running out especially during tests I remember having had many tickets for speeding when I was in college. The rush of adrenaline plays a big part of it but no joke to the officer. It occurred to me that my addiction to sugar and sweet in the swirling caramel latte that I drink three times a day is the culprit. When I am off, I am in recovery but only for a short time. What are your suggestions that I do? My tickets are very off and high up to 200 hundreds of dollars sometimes. There is no room for errors anymore and I can get easily impatient when stopped on the road….

R H, Other, , MI, USA says

Parents who come to me usually complaint about how their kids talk about running away from home. I ask them why.Then they answer thats what they heard to resolve theirfrustration. Is that what we teach them at home and outside to deal with their problems? Its creating unfinishing line to parents as what to say to their kids. And how to intervene if parents can’t get up tight when triggerd. Stay calm and talking back ddon’t seem to clear it out. Does anyone has the same triggers/

ANNy bOWIE, Coach, Dupont Cirle, DC, USA says

Great link, thanks. I am working on my thesis…

ANNy bOWIE, Coach, Dupont Cirle, DC, USA says

Hi, a teacher of mine has shown lots compassion for writers who have blocks and shared a really good antidepressant for writers block : take your favorite book and read it again and again for pleasure until inspired, OR block noises by wearing a headphone. Iwill give this atry there nothing to lose, for the worstk

Lisbeth V, Psychotherapy, GB says

I liked all what is said here. Good ideas about dealing with anxiety that I will certainly use for the benefit if others. Thanks.

Marian Febvre, Counseling, Ft. Collins, CO, USA says

I’ll tack this together with the Polyvagal Theory of our Self and how we function. Thanks

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